Dynamo hire Ralston as assistant coach

MLS all-time assist leader joins Houston staff

July 22, 2010

Houston Dynamo Media Relations

Major League Soccer assist leader Steve Ralston, one of the
league’s top players over the last 15 years, will join the Houston Dynamo
coaching staff as an assistant to head coach Dominic Kinnear, it was announced
today. Ralston, who announced his retirement from the New England Revolution
following their SuperLiga match Tuesday, is expected to join the Dynamo in time
for Saturday’s road match against the Columbus Crew.

“He’s been a fantastic player over the years,” Kinnear said
of Ralston. “Being friends with him, we’ve talked soccer a lot, and I have a
lot of respect for his views on the game. He’s a person of excellent character,
and he’s very honest and loyal, and for me that makes a great addition to the
staff.”

Ralston replaces John Spencer, Kinnear’s assistant since
2006, who left the club earlier this month to pursue other opportunities.

A native of St.
Louis, Ralston is the all-time MLS leader in assists
(135), games (378), starts (372), and minutes played (33,143). As a midfielder,
he played in four MLS Cup finals for New England,
including two against the Dynamo in 2006 and 2007. Ralston was named an MLS
All-Star seven times and to the MLS Best XI three times. He is the only
three-time recipient of the MLS Fair Play Award.

On the international level, Ralston appeared 36 times for
the United States national
team and scored four goals, including the game-winning goal against Mexico on September 3, 2005, as the United States
clinched qualification for the World Cup. He was an alternate for the World Cup
squad but has represented the United
States at the Gold Cup three times, including
championship squads in 2005 and 2007.

In his club career, Ralston was drafted by the Tampa Bay
Mutiny out of Florida
International University in 1996, the
league’s inaugural season, and won the first MLS Rookie of the Year award that
season. He played six years for Tampa
Bay before the club was
contracted, including three years as a teammate of Kinnear. Ralston was then selected
by the Revolution in the MLS Allocation Draft and spent the next eight years
with New England. After a brief stint with hometown club AC St. Louis in 2010,
he rejoined the Revolution in June. His club championships include the 2007
U.S. Open Cup and 2008 SuperLiga titles.

The Dynamo will host the 2010 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at
Reliant Stadium on Wednesday, July 28, and tickets are still available at
HoustonDynamo.com or by calling (713) 276-7500.

The
Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships
in its first four seasons and represented the United States in international
competition in four consecutive years. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call (713) 276-7500.